Mersin Province

Mersin Province Mersin ili
—  Province of Turkey  —
Location of Mersin Province in Turkey
Country	Turkey
Region	Mediterranean
Capital	Mersin
Area
- Total	15,853 km2 (6,120.9 sq mi)
Population (2010-12-31)[1]
- Total	1,647,899
- Density	103.9/km2 (269.2/sq mi)
Area code(s)	0324
Vehicle registration	33
Website	mersin.gov.tr

The Mersin Province (Turkish: Mersin ili ) is a province in southern Turkey, on the Mediterranean coast between Antalya and Adana. The provincial capital is the city of Mersin and the other major town is Tarsus, birthplace of St Paul. The province is part of Çukurova, a geographical, economical and cultural region, that covers the provinces of Mersin, Adana, Osmaniye and Hatay.

The former name of the province was İçel. In 2002, the province's name was changed to Mersin to match the provincial capital's name, as is the case for all Turkish provinces except three. The province retained the license plate number of 33, İçel having been the 33rd in the alphabetical order of Turkish province names, when there were only 67 provinces in Turkey.

Geography

87% of the land area is mountain, leading up to the rocky heights of the central Taurus Mountains, the highest peak is Medetsiz (3,584 m) in the Bolkar range, and there are a number of important passes over to central Anatolia. There are many high meadows and small plains between 700 and 1500m.

The coastal strip has many large areas of flatland, formed from soil brought down by rivers and streams running off the mountains. This is fertile land, the largest area being the plain of Tarsus. The largest rivers are the Göksu and the Berdan (aka Tarsus, Cydnus of antiquity), but there are many small streams running into lakes, reservoirs or the Mediterranean sea. Mersin has 321 km of coastline, much of it sandy beach. The climate is typical of the Mediterranean; very hot and very humid in summer, warm and wet in winter; the winter rains can be very heavy and flooding is a problem in many areas, but it never snows on the coast, although there is snow in the high mountain areas.

The city of Mersin is one of Turkey's busiest: due to the economic activity in this part of Turkey generated by the GAP Project Mersin is Turkey's biggest Mediterranean port, and now has an oil refinery and a free trade zone too; there are a number of factories along the road between Mersin and Adana, manufacturing glass, detergents, fertilisers and many more. With all this activity a modern city has grown with a university and other major amenities.

About 50% of the population of the province is younger than 24 years of age. 68% were born in Mersin. The literacy rate is 89%. About 43% of the male population and about 27% of the female population graduated from middle school. Infant mortality is 0.48%. Urban population growth rate is 2.42%. Population density is 117.

Tourism

Mersin does not have the huge volume of tourists enjoyed by neighbouring Antalya or the Aegean coast, but Turkish people do come to this coast, especially now that the hotels have air-conditioning, and perhaps more to the mountain country behind where there are healing mineral water springs. In summer the hills are a popular retreat from the high humidity and extreme heat on the coast. West of Mersin includes bays, and little islands. Yacht touring is a tourism income in these areas.

History

See Mersin for a detailed history of the city.

In antiquity this coast was part of Cilicia, named for a Phoenician or Assyrian prince that had settled here. Trade from Syria and Mesopotamia over the mountains to central Anatolia passed through here, through the Cilician Gates. The geographer Strabo, described the region as being divided into "Rugged Cilicia" (Cilicia Trachea) and "Flat Cilicia" (Cilicia Pedias). The capital of both sections of Cilicia was Tarsus and Mersin was its seaport.

Districts

Mersin province is divided into thirteen districts four of which are actually included within the municipality of Mersin city (shown in boldface letters).

• Akdeniz
• Mezitli
• Toroslar
• Yenişehir
• Anamur
• Aydıncık
• Bozyazı
• Çamlıyayla
• Erdemli
• Gülnar
• Mut
• Silifke
• Tarsus

Population of the province

(In the table below, the four intracity municipalities are merged within Mersin proper.)

Name of the district	Population (city)	Population (total, including rural area)
Mersin	842 230	888 803
Anamur	34 227	62 702
Aydıncık	8 004	11 651
Bozyazı	15 615	26 295
Çamlıyayla	2 861	9 847
Erdemli	45 241	125 391
Gülnar	8 357	19 141
Mut	28 966	63 673
Silifke	51 684	113 404
Tarsus	233 436	308 681

Places of interest

• The city of Tarsus, birthplace of St Paul, whose house and well are sites of Christian pilgrimage.
• Silifke - ancient Seleucia Pieria, buildings include the church of Aya Tekla, the first female saint.
• The ancient Roman town of Soloi-Pompeiopolis, now within the city. About Mersin
• Another ancient city of Elaiussa Sebaste, 55 km from the city of Mersin.
• Castles including Kızkalesi, Namrun.

Towns and other geographic features

Towns Arslanköy Ayvagediği Büyükeceli Çarıklar Çeşmeli Göksu Gözne Gülek Huzurkent[2] Kaledran[3] Kargıpınarı Kazanlı[2] Kızkalesi Kocahasanlı

Köseçobanlı Kuskan Limonlu Narlıkuyu Ören Sebil Soğucak[2] Taşucu Tekeli Tekmen Uzuncaburç Yenice Yeşilovacık Yeşiltepe Zeyne

Archaeological wealth Adamkayalar Alahan Monastery Aya Tekla Church Cennet and Cehennem Cleopatra's gate Corycus Çanakçı rock tombs Gözlükule Kanlıdivane Lamas Aqueduct Mamure Castle Meydancık Castle Mut Castle Olba (ancient city) Roman road in Cilicia Saint Paul's Church, Tarsus Soli, Cilicia Tapureli ruins Üçayak ruins Yumuktepe

Other

• Abanoz
• Çukurova
• Dana Adası
• Gulf of Mersin
• Karabucak Forest
• Karakız Lake
• List of municipalities in Mersin Province
• Mersin Harbor
• Adana Conference (Yenice Görüşmesi )
• Tourism centers of Mersin Province

See also

• List of populated places in Mersin Province ‎
• Transport in Mersin Province

Notes

1. ^ Turkish Statistical Institute, MS Excel document – Population of province/district centers and towns/villages and population growth rate by provinces
2. ^ ^{a b c} Incorporated within Greater Mersin
3. ^ Actually a village

External links

• Mersin City
• Mersin Weather Forecast Information
• About Mersin City
• University of Mersin
• Mersin city council
• People Of Mersin
• Real Estate Agency Mersin Turkey
• some photographs of Mersin
• * Mersin technopark
• Mersin Chamber of Commerce and Industry (in English)
• Mersin Chamber of Shipping (in English)
• Mersin Photographic society (in English)
• 2008 Saint Paul Year English)
• Mersin News
• Mersin 2013 Web Site

Coordinates: 36°40′43″N 33°48′19″E / 36.67861°N 33.80528°E / 36.67861; 33.80528